Luke 17:32

Remember Lots wife. Luke 17:32 (KJV)

In Luke 17:20‑37 Jesus answers the Pharisees’ question about the coming of the kingdom of God. He explains that the kingdom is not a visible, observable reality but is within the hearts of believers. He then describes the signs that will accompany the arrival of the Son of Man and urges His disciples to be ready and not to be misled by false reports or false messiahs.

The warning to “Remember Lot’s wife” refers back to the account in Genesis 19:1‑26. Lot, the nephew of Abraham, lived in the wicked city of Sodom. Because of the extreme sinfulness of Sodom and Gomorrah, God decided to destroy them, but Abraham’s intercession secured mercy for Lot and his family. Angels were sent to rescue them and explicitly warned, “Do not look back or stop anywhere on your way out of the city.” As they fled, God rained sulfur and fire on the cities, completely destroying them. Yet Lot’s wife, unwilling to release her attachment to the sinful city, looked back, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.

Jesus uses this vivid image to caution His followers about the danger of looking back and clinging to worldly attachments when the time comes to move forward in faith. Lot’s wife exemplifies a heart that longs for the past rather than trusting fully in God’s command and focusing on the future. The lesson is clear: believers must prioritize their relationship with God, avoid being entangled by worldly desires, and abandon old ways.

True discipleship, therefore, requires a complete surrender to Jesus—leaving behind the old life, fixing our eyes on Christ, and pressing forward in faith without longing for what we have left behind. By remembering Lot’s wife, we are reminded to let go of anything that hinders our walk with God and to embrace the call to follow Him wholeheartedly.